Expats: Is learning a local language necessary?
Many Central/Eastern Europeans tend to think that in their homeland, there is nothing to see in the long-run for Westerners. Even the Slavic languages do not seem to be common enough to make the effort to learn it. So, what is the reality here?
Massimo, the founder of Prague Morning came from Italy as an Erasmus student. He fell in love with the city. His Czech story is quite similar to that of Jules.
Founder of Kafkadesk, Jules moved to Czechia from France after his Erasmus and internship. Both of them pushed their interest in the Central European region further and established businesses here.
Prague lifestyle, curiosities, and culture news were nowhere to be found in a modern design for the English speaking audience when Massimo started his Facebook page Prague Morning.
For Jules, there still lacked reliable sources of information in English, providing news with adequate background and perspective, not only for the Czech Republic but Central Europe as a whole. That’s when he decided, last year, to transform his passion into Kafkadesk, an English-language media covering politics, business, events, lifestyle and culture in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary.
Their motives were pretty similar — bring more information for and about the Czech Republic and Central Europe, their “new home”.
Speaking the local language — a must or a funny advantage?
Speaking is the most difficult part of learning Czech for Massimo and Jules. “With a touch of creativity, it’s, of course, possible to get by without knowing basic Czech phrases, but it’s still much more practical (and fulfilling) if foreigners do learn how to speak”, Jules says. “The most important is the every-day vocabulary to be able to interact in daily conversations with Czechs.”
Massimo agrees that the most difficult part of being an expat is “dealing with public offices and in case of emergencies” since they often speak only Czech. According to Jules, the biggest challenge for many foreigners living in Prague is still to “fit in the local life, outside of expat circles”.
Therefore we conducted a small Facebook research among expats living in Czechia last April. Speaking at least the basics of the local language was seen as a source of self-confidence, fun, and belonging. As one Czech expat wrote: “I feel proud when I sarcastically shout ‘Paráda’ at people pissing in the street!”
Inspired by the expat experiences, Vocabulary Miner created word lists with topics, such as “Relocation”, “Filling the Forms Right”, “At the Doctor’s”, “Food and Drink”, “Travel Through the City”, “Travel”, etc — in 12 languages to conquer the language barrier.
The most helpful words according to Massimo and Jules?
Massimo: It is useful to know these sentences in Czech: “Can I pay with the card?”, “At what time does the shop close”?
Jules: “Změna trasy linky” (train/tram route changed) — Just an example, but I think people who just moved to Prague can be incredibly confused when there are public transport changes without understanding the announcements.
For the most useful Czech words, read THIS article.
Jules had a look at the Word list “Travel” made with the help of the expat Facebook community: “Yes, it seems to cover the most useful words!”
Changes and differences
As an Italian and a French, the major differences spotted by Massimo and Jules in Czechia are food and eating habits. Massimo is also every time struck by empathy people are displaying in public services. Surprisingly, Prague is for him the representation of the big city life, since he lived in a small town near Venice.
For Jules, it’s the other way around — while Prague offers everything one could hope for in a capital city, its human-size scale makes it an incredibly pleasant city to live in, as compared to his native Paris and other major metropolises.
And what do they still find full of wonders in their new home?
Massimo: “So many public holidays when you do not have to work”
Jules: “Czechs’ passion for dogs, our canine friends.”
And if you want to make learning language easier, check how to use Google Translate and a Flashcard app.
Have you ever felt frustrated with sth so much that you would rather create it on your own? That’s the story of Flashcard maker Vocabulary Miner. Read more on our blog.
Interested in more stories? We practice to #saymore on our Instagram, too.
